Decatur Unofficial Visitor’s Guide
Decatur Metro | February 16, 2010I’ve been thinking that my “Decatur Tips & Links” page needs a revamp.
But instead of just links to the city’s recycling page, I was hoping to create a comprehensive list of all the “inside scoops” about Decatur. So, in addition to “Park in the Courthouse Deck after 6p!”, what other tips would/do you give to visitors (or new residents) about our fair city?
After we’re finished here, I’ll compile them all on a new and improved page!
Latest from Decaturish
Oooooh. This is SUCH a great idea.
I’ll contribute a few and try to stay away from controversy:
– Good park for toddlers and the under 5 crowd learning to ride a trike, bikea, or scooter is the First Christian Church “round and round” park that is relatively small, fenced, mostly flat, and considered the bees knees by tykes.
– Good bicycle cut throughs/safe routes if cycling with young children and trying to avoid traffic are the Decatur Cemetary, Glenlake Park (when open), Swanton Hill cluster home community (although the hill is daunting), Great Lakes, Oakhurst Park, bike path.
– Phoenix school has some state paid preK spots (I think)
– Once you take Decatur 101, you know everyone you’ll ever need to know in Decatur city government and are set for life, plus you make new friends.
– The quickest route through downtown Decatur in a car is usually around Decatur on Commerce, unless it’s 3 AM.
– There’s parking for DHS off of Howard (the street formerly known as DeKalb further west) if you can’t find it in front of the high school on McDonough
– You can make book requests at the DeKalb Library on-line once you are a registered user; the books come by magic and then you get an email letting you know to come over. Works like a charm.
– You can trust everyone at Decatur Rec–with your children, your money, your life, your grandmother, whatever. If there is a true Center of Decatur, in terms of all community members, geography, interests, income, and consistency over time, it’s Decatur Rec.
– Decatur consignment sales not to miss: Kid’s Sale at Decatur First United Methodist and First Baptist’s
Agree with commerce being a better way through Decatur; however, we need to time the lights better. Whenever I have taken that I have hit all three red light in under a mile. Not quicker if your standing still.
For better or worse, DeKalb County does all that and I’m not sure if they know the difference between red and green.
Kids love the Michael C. Carlos Museum at nearby Emory! Ride the Cliff bus. Visit the mummies and Greek statues. Enjoy the museum scavenger hunt…
Give away all our best locals-only secrets?! These truly are the End Times.
What if we call it a Decatur Not-For-Tourists guide? Does that make it more marketable?
Or, how about a good, old-fashioned misinformation campaign? Something to keep out the riff raff. We could include:
1. The Brick Store has closed.
2. The schools failed to make AYP.
3. Cars are banned.
4. Everyone wears a beret emblazoned with a button featuring Mayor Floyd.
Anything else?
They could just move to Decatur, take Decatur 101, and become a local themselves…
Great bird watching in Decatur cemetery.
That reminds me of when we released Hooty there and he was almost immediately attacked by two mockingbirds! Good ‘ol Hooty.
Has anyone heard from Hooty lately?
He doesn’t call. He doesn’t write. But that’s fine. I’m just happy he has a good life. I’ll just sit here in the dark, waiting for death to take me.
Mockingbirds invented NIMBY.
- As soon as kindergarten registration opens up in CSD, register! Some local neighborhood schools have had their kindergarten classes fill in recent years.
– If Animal Crackers does first-come/first-serve registration again this year for next year’s program, get on line before 5 AM. On the other hand, if your children don’t get in, know that they have a good chance of coming off the waiting list, and that there’s always spots at the Decatur Rec location. Kids love the van ride there.
– Similarly, expect long lines on March ?27? when registration for Decatur Rec’s popular, well-run, and reasonably-priced camps occur. You don’t have to get there quite as early but if you’re at all late you’ll miss the best camps. But every year the strategy changes on the best way to sign up. Sometimes it’s on-line, sometimes in person, sometimes at the Rec using their computers. You just have to be flexible that day.
Phoenix Pre-K has twenty state paid slots but only a few are put up in a yearly lottery. Most of the slots are taken by children moving up from the 3-4 year old class at Phoenix.
i love you guys
Nearby grocery stores: The milk from the “little Kroger” tends to spoil quickly, the Emory Commons Publix has a great manager who helps CSD schools all the time and the food quality is good, the Toco Hills Publix has slightly better selection but is further, the “big Kroger” at North Decatur and DeKalb Industrial has the best prices nearby, a good ethnic foods selection, gas discount, lots of coupon opportunities, and is open 24 hours, but the quality isn’t quite as high and it has a slightly grungy, edgy feel late at night.
Sawicki’s is a wonderful but expensive adult alternative to a regular grocery store.
(insert obligatory TDS post here)
DeKalb Farmer’s Market has unique international vegetables and fruit, good chocolates, good flowers, live fish and lobsters, heavy breads and pastries, way too expensive milk, every kind of seasoning in the world, an unusual buffet line, is always crowded, and takes cash, checks, or debit cards, NOT credit cards.
And no refunds! EVER!
Watching someone actually try and return something at one of the service desks is one of the area’s more entertaining spectator sports.
And the fish service counter will take your breath away. Literally.
Georgia Center for the Book and its series of author appearances at the Decatur Public Library. Fantastic and free.
Perhaps we should advise them to sharpen their cart skills if they plan to visit YDFM on the weekend.
For our Decatur wedding this past summer, we did a post on public transportation possibilities in Decatur (the bikes weren’t an option when we took our pictures, though! also, Marta fares hadn’t gone up yet.) http://bit.ly/bdvHs7